High Speed Rail: Past, Present And Future

Release of New Study Regarding the Cost of Inaction of Building High-Speed Rail

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Does investment in high-speed rail result in a net gain or loss of taxpayer dollars? This question and others will be answered as the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), American High Speed Rail Alliance (AHSRA) and Association of American Railroads (AAR) host a delegation of high-speed rail executives from the International Union of Railways (UIC) for a Congressional lunch briefing and media session on the past, present and future of high speed rail from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10. As part of the high-speed rail "Washington Day" on Capitol Hill, the event will feature an in-depth briefing from top high-speed rail executives around the world and will include remarks from Members of Congress.

APTA will also release a new study on high-speed rail which examines the net result of the taxpayer commitment to high-speed rail. The briefing will explore the benefits garnered by high-speed rail investments worldwide and how America can itself benefit from these experiences.

Members of the International Union of Railways will be in attendance, including 10 CEOs and top executives of high-speed railroads and companies from across the globe.

The High-Speed Rail "Washington Day" is a preview event a day before the UIC's 8th World Congress on High Speed Rail (UIC HIGHSPEED 2012), which is held every two years and attracts attendees from around the world to exchange views on the development and achievements of high-speed rail worldwide. This year, the World Congress is being held in Philadelphia, the first time ever in North America, from July 10-13, and offers an exceptional opportunity for media with an interest in high-speed rail development in the United States to have access to global rail leaders. With the development of the National Rail Plan and government funds awarded to high speed rail projects, America is poised to take significant steps toward transforming our transportation network, so the World Congress comes to the U.S. at a pivotal time.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association of 1,500 public and private member organizations, engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed rail. This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. More than 90 percent of the people using public transportation in the United States and Canada are served by APTA member systems.